Pope's Brother at the White House, Russia Strikes Monestary, Israel Balks at Peace Deal - 6/16/26

Pope Leo's MAGA brother hangs out with J.D. Vance. I'm Josh Mercer with your Morning Loop cast. Pope Leo's brother, Louis Prevost, was spotted chatting with Vice President J.D. Vance during President Donald Trump's UFC event at the White House over the weekend. Prevost describes himself as a MAGA conservative, and Trump loves the guy. It's not clear if the Holy Father likes mixed martial arts as much as his brother does, but Pope Leo is certainly a fan of athletic activity in general. He has praised the value of sport in several speeches and letters since his election last year.

The main cathedral of an iconic 11th century Ukrainian monastery burned after being struck by a Russian drone on Sunday, the Kiev Independent reports. At least five killed and 35 were injured in the attack on Ukraine's capital. The cathedral fire was contained without major structural damage. Israel is rejecting its assigned obligations under the new... To end hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, just after Trump announced the agreement was hours from completion, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a retaliatory strike on Beirut, a move that infuriated Trump.

In an exploitative, riddled series of interviews, Trump told Israeli outlets that Netanyahu's strikes in Lebanon were uncalled for and made him very angry. In a Truth Social post, the president said the attack was an act of violence against the U.S. and Iran. should not have happened, and that Israel and all other parties should not blow the chance at peace. Nonetheless, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Monday that the nation will refuse to withdraw its troops from Lebanon. The saint of the day today is St.

John Francis Regis, a French Jesuit priest known for his powerful preaching and his tireless work in the service of widows and orphans. Go to zeal.co for the rest of today's loop, and while you're at it, subscribe to get the loop in your Again, that is zeal.co.